EVENTS

With comments such as: ‘Having the right supply chain partner makes an ‘L’ of a difference’, ‘A great effort by the AluK team to put together all this vital information’ and ’All very clear and informative – looking forward to the next stages of development’, AluK’s Building Regulation Forums clearly struck the right note with the dozens of customers who attended. AluK hosted three events in Chepstow, London, and Leeds to give its fabrication partners a clear and straightforward overview of what the changes to Document L will mean for their businesses. Crucially, the team also outlined exactly what AluK is doing with its prod-

Simplifying And Demistying Part L At The AluK Customer Forums ucts to ensure that customers can comply with these changes in time for the June 2022 deadline. These were just the first phase in AluK’s response to Part L and there will be further Customer Forums held in May to give final details on the product enhancements and updates on timings, part numbers, order forms and marketing support. Michael Williams, AluK’s managing director, explained that the company is taking a very different approach to the Part L challenge to some of its competitors: “We’re not advising customers to use triple glazing to meet the new rules with

The AluK team pictured at the Part L Customer Forum which took place in Leeds existing products as some suppliers are, or suggesting that they can rely on specifiers to offset higher window and door U-Values against better performing elements in their SAP Calculations. “Instead, we’re focusing on ‘Excellence in Engineering’. By the time the deadline comes around, our design and technical team will have redeveloped no fewer than eight of our products in just six months, which is truly outstanding. It means that, from June onwards, AluK customers will have access to a full suite of products that comply with the new rules using double glazing as standard and with worst-case scenario Uf-Values. They will also still be able to buy our existing products for projects which already have planning permission or Building Control approval and fall within the 12-month transition period.” The AluK forums were all about simplifying and demystifying the new Building Regulations and being honest and transparent with customers about what compliance will mean for them in the real world.

Everyone who attended was given a document to take away which explained exactly what the new notional and limiting values are for both new and existing dwellings and new and existing non-dwellings. They were also given details of precisely how the AluK products are being thermally enhanced to make sure they comply, and reassured that the aesthetics, fabrication, and tooling of these products will not change.

AluK’s team were also able to answer all the questions fabricators had on the day about the changes, including how the transition period will work, how customers’ LogiKal processing software is being updated to include the product enhancements, how best to communicate with their installers about the fact that they are the ones who will have to demonstrate compliance, and how that compliance is likely to be policed.

Michael Williams added: “AluK has been at the very heart of the industry’s response to Part L from the very beginning – from giving our feedback to the initial consultations, to having our representatives on the key committees with the likes of CAB, the GGF and the CWCT, and running communications programmes to keep the market updated.

“The whole industry is on a journey towards zero carbon homes and what’s become increasingly clear is that these changes to the Building Regs are just the first step on that journey. We all have to be engaged and ready for even bigger changes to come, so it was really good to see so many of our customers at the Forums, all determined to stay ahead of the curve.”

Customers at the London event clearly agreed, with feedback like this: ‘Incredibly useful information provided to keep us up to speed and learn what impacts this will have on us all’, ‘Bravo to all involved!’

Edgetech Set To Talk

Sustainability At Zak Dublin

Warm-edge specialist Edgetech, a Quanex company, will be exhibiting at the upcoming Zak World of Facades event in Dublin, Ireland.

Zak is an international conference series on façade design and engineering, which has attracted more than 27,000 attendees over dozens of events held in countries around the world.

This will be the 88th Zak conference, and the first one to ever be held in Ireland. Over a day of talks and seminars led by world-leading experts in their field, it will explore how the construction industry can incorporate innovative, sustainable new tech to tackle the challenges the sector faces.

Edgetech has previously attended a number of Zak events around the world, including in India, and hugely values what they bring to the table, as head of marketing and CX Charlotte Hawkes explains.

“If the UK and countries around the world have any chance of achieving their stringent carbon reduction targets, construction will have to become rapidly and drastically more sustainable in the decade ahead.

“It’s therefore hugely encouraging that Zak is placing such a major emphasis on this critical issue. Events like these are a vital chance for the sector to come together, learn from each other, and collectively set a course for a brighter, more sustainable future.

“Edgetech has always been ahead of the curve on matters of sustainability, and we strongly believe our world-leading warm-edge products have a vital role to play in making the buildings of tomorrow more energy efficient.

“We look forward to meeting as many people as possible from across the sector, and are sure it will be a hugely successful event.”

The Zak World of Facades event will come to The Convention Centre, Dublin, on Wednesday 6th April.